植物甾醇微生物转化制备甾体药物中间体的研究进展

微生物选择性降解植物甾醇侧链获取甾体药物合成的重要中间体雄甾-4-烯-3,17-二酮（4-AD）和雄甾-1,4-二烯-3,17-二酮（ADD）对于我国制药行业具有重要意义。现存文献资料对该领域缺乏全面系统的分析总结,从甾醇侧链微生物转化的机理、途径及其收率的影响因素等几个方面综述了近几年的研究进展,并对此领域的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Theoretical studies of Alzheimer's disease drug candidate 3-[(2,4-dimethoxy)benzylidene]-anabaseine (GTS-21) and its derivatives

Theoretical and molecular modeling studies have been conducted for understanding the details of how 3-[(2,4-dimethoxy)benzylidene]-anabaseine dihydrochloride (GTS-21) and its metabolism derivatives bind with the receptor of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine dimer. Good accordance with experimental results has been achieved. It was found that the van der Waals repulsion makes the dominant contribution to the binding energy. GTS-21 and its metabolites are apparently too large for the binding sites of the alpha7 dimer. To improve the effectiveness of the drug, a possible approach is to reduce its volume while maintaining the presence of the active groups. Our studies, in combination with experimental studies, will lead to a promising basis for practical drug design against Alzheimer's disease.     

榆钱菠菜脯氨酸转运蛋白基因的克隆及转基因拟南芥的耐盐性

脯氨酸是自然界中分布最广泛,作用最重要的渗透保护剂之一,同时又是高等植物中一类重要的碳源和氮源物质.为了解环境胁迫下脯氨酸的转运调节,从一个典型的盐生植物榆钱菠菜( Atriplex hortensis L.)中通过cDNA文库筛选和5′-RACE的方法获得了一个全长的cDNA (AhProT1),其编码蛋白与脯氨酸转运蛋白有60%～69%的同源性,含有11个跨膜结构域.聚类分析表明,微生物和高等植物的脯氨酸转运蛋白同源程度相对高于哺乳动物.为进一步分析脯氨酸转运蛋白在植物中的功能,将AhProT1置于35S启动子下转入拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana).通过同位素示踪法发现, 与对照植物相比, 转基因植物在根中积累更多的脯氨酸;在一系列不同浓度的盐胁迫试验中,转基因植株最高可耐受200 mmol/L NaCl,并可持续生长,而对照植株在150 mmol/L NaCl下即已死亡.     

杂色云芝漆酶基因(Lcc1)的克隆及在甲醇毕赤酵母中的表达

以白腐菌杂色云芝Coriolus versicolor RNA为模板,通过RT-PCR获得漆酶Leel基因的cDNA片段。构建了甲醇酵母表达质粒pMETA-Lccl载体,并将其线性化后用电穿孔法导入Pichia methabolica PMAD16,部分阳性克隆的PCR结果表明Lccl基因已经整合到甲醇毕赤酵母染色体上,经摇瓶培养筛选出表达水平较高的酵母工程菌株。漆酶酶活力达53U/L     

一株产耐高温DNA 酶和蛋白水解酶的沙雷氏菌FS14 (Serratia sp. FS14) 的分离与鉴定

通过组织分离法从白术病害样品的茎秆部位分离到一株产红色色素的细菌FS14,参照《伯杰氏细菌鉴定手册》,根据其形态学特征、生理生化特性,同时结合16S rDNA序列分析结果,发现该菌属于沙雷氏菌属。研究还发现,从白术茎秆中分离到的这株中温型沙雷氏菌FS14能分泌耐高温的DNA酶和蛋白水解酶,甚至在100 oC预处理30 min后仍有活性。沙雷氏菌能分泌耐高温的DNA酶和蛋白水解酶还未见报道。     

细菌中倍半萜生物合成的研究进展

萜类化合物是一大类小分子天然产物,在生物体内扮演重要的角色。植物和真菌中萜类化合物的生物合成已被广泛研究,但是在真核生物中克隆或改造萜类化合物生物合成途径还有较大难度。许多细菌同样可以产生萜类化合物。在过去十多年间细菌萜类合酶的研究进展为我们对萜类化合物生物合成的理解做出了显著的贡献。这里我们主要关注细菌中合成的倍半萜化合物,概述其化学结构、倍半萜合酶对法尼基焦磷酸环化的机制、后修饰酶特别是氧化还原酶所参与的后修饰、代谢调控以及合成途径中尚未解决的问题等。     

BioNetSim: a Petri net-based modeling tool for simulations of biochemical processes

BioNetSim, a Petri net-based software for modeling and simulating biochemistry processes, is developed, whose design and implement are presented in this paper, including logic construction, real-time access to KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes), and BioModel database. Furthermore, glycolysis is simulated as an example of its application. BioNetSim is a helpful tool for researchers to download data, model biological network, and simulate complicated biochemistry processes. Gene regulatory networks, metabolic pathways, signaling pathways, and kinetics of cell interaction are all available in BioNetSim, which makes modeling more efficient and effective. Similar to other Petri net-based softwares, BioNetSim does well in graphic application and mathematic construction. Moreover, it shows several powerful predominances. (1) It creates models in database. (2) It realizes the real-time access to KEGG and BioModel and transfers data to Petri net. (3) It provides qualitative analysis, such as computation of constants. (4) It generates graphs for tracing the concentration of every molecule during the simulation processes.     

PTEN抑制胚胎原肠胚形成期EMT的过程

PTEN(Phosphatase and tensin homolog)是一种重要的抑癌基因,具有非常广泛的生物学活性,例如在细胞的生长发育、迁移、凋亡和信号传导等均发挥重要作用。PTEN基因表达始于在胚胎早期的上胚层,而后主要出现在神经外胚层和胚胎中胚层结构,表明PTEN可能参与胚胎早期发育过程的细胞迁移、增殖和分化。文章主要应用在体改变早期胚胎PTEN的表达水平来观察其对上胚层至中胚层细胞转换—EMT(Epithe-lial-mesenchymal transition)的作用。首先,原位杂交结果提示,内源性PTEN表达在原条以及之后的中胚层细胞结构如体节等。在体PTEN转染实验,体外培养至HH3期的鸡胚胎,转染Wt PTEN-GFP或移植Wt PTEN-GFP原条组织至未转染的同时期的宿主胚胎相同部位后,观察到PTEN转染细胞大都由上胚层迁移至原条并滞留于原条,不再参与中胚层细胞形成。移植实验也得到相似结果,发现在Wt PTEN-GFP阳性原条组织移植后很少细胞迁移出原条。另外在原肠胚期PTEN siRNA降调胚胎一侧PTEN基因后,降调侧中胚层细胞数明显少于正常侧。上述研究结果均提示PTEN基因在胚胎原肠胚期三胚层形成过程中可能具有抑制EMT的作用。     

Anti-<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-actinin antibodies in relation to new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of anti-α-actinin antibodies in patients with new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thirty-six patients with SLE, 16 of whom had lupus nephritis (LN), and 53 healthy controls were included. The clinical and laboratory parameters of patients were collected from medical records or by questionnaire. Serum anti-α-actinin Abs was measured by competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results show that the OD value of serum anti-α-actinin Abs in SLE patients was significantly lower than that in normal controls (1.212 ± 0.244 vs. 1.364 ± 0.202, P = 0.002); seven of 36 SLE patients were seropositive for anti-α-actinin Abs, which was significantly higher than in normal controls (19.4 vs. 3.8%, P = 0.028). There were no significant differences of clinical parameters between the anti-α-actinin Abs-positive patients and the negative patients. The positive rate of the term urine casts, elevated IgM and IgA in anti-α-actinin Abs-positive patients were higher than that in the negative patients. The OD values of serum anti-α-actinin Abs negatively correlated with disease activity (R _s = −0.352, P = 0.035). Anti-α-actinin Abs may be a useful marker of the disease activity of SLE; in addition, it may be used as a complementary parameter to differentiate LN from SLE without nephritis.